


Let's go surfing

by browney3dgirl6



Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Craig Cody - Freeform, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, a sweet moment, billy - Freeform, derans thoughts, mentions of - Freeform, renn randall - Freeform, smurf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:41:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28964790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/browney3dgirl6/pseuds/browney3dgirl6
Summary: Deran's been through a lot these past days; Billy, Smurf, Craig and a...baby?  It's all too much. Set during the last few eps of season 4.
Relationships: Deran Cody/Adrian Dolan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23
Collections: Animal Kingdom ▶ Deran Cody / Adrian Dolan





	Let's go surfing

**Author's Note:**

> I know I know, I should be posting chapter 11 of  FOU buttt this just came to me last night and I couldn't help myself!
> 
> I was re-watching some of season 4 the other day and I couldn't stop thinking about how much he went through in such a short amount of time, on top of everything else that was going on with Adrian. So let's just pretend for a minute that they weren't fucked up and could share this sweet moment 💙
> 
> Enjoy!

Adrian’s nearly asleep in his lap. They’re lying on the couch, Deran propped up on one end with Adrian sprawled between his legs, head resting on Deran’s thigh. He bends his head down, touching a chaste kiss to the top of his head, “You should go to bed.”

Adrian nuzzled his head in closer, tugging Deran’s arm tightly around him. “Mmm good here.” His voice comes out sleepy and Deran chuckles softly. He runs his hand over Adrian’s face, rubbing circles into his warm cheek. Adrian hums lightly, pushing further into the touch.

Deran should’ve taken him to bed hours ago; he could use the sleep after the shit day he had. He knew Adrian wouldn’t go to bed without him, not wanting to leave his touch.

The job today had gone fairly smooth, no major fuckups; it wasn’t exactly the thing that was keeping his mind racing that night. It was everything else. Billy, Smurf, Craig and his...kid? It was all too much, especially all in the span of 48hrs.

_Billy_.

Just thinking about him made Deran’s throat rise with bile. Who the fuck was he to come back into Deran’s life after ripping him off? And he showed up at _his_ bar of all places. Deran scoffed at the memory. Billy claimed some shit about being sober or whatever and that he was buying a place in town; surely, he couldn’t be serious about sticking around. Deran couldn’t care less if he ever saw Billy again. At least, that’s what he’d thought until the other night. He’d questioned Billy about selling him back to Smurf for 6000k and a bag of smack; Billy had given him an incredulous look, acting as if the notion in itself was absurd. Deran honestly didn’t know what or who to believe anymore, and he didn’t know if it even mattered at this point. Billy hadn’t been around all these years and Smurf had; he couldn’t change that now and neither could they. He hadn’t needed a dad in his life for a long time and he sure as fuck didn’t now. Deran wasn’t sure he needed a mother anymore either, though that was a different issue he was having to deal with at the moment.

Adrian shifted below him, curling himself up, pushing further back into Deran. His breaths picked up slightly as he relaxed back into his slumber. Deran rubbed absently over his shoulder, still too lost in his thoughts.

_Smurf_.

Smurf was...dying? It was difficult for Deran to process the extent of what that actually meant. Smurf having cancer was one thing, but she was dying from it and there was nothing to do about it? It simply didn’t set well with Deran, no matter how strong his hatred for her went. The hatred pulsed through his veins like a flesh-eating disease, Smurf trying to overtake him at any moment. He’d dreamed about this day for as long as he could remember; if she was gone, he could be free. Now that it was actually happening, he felt... _numb_. Pope should have told them sooner. Hell, _Smurf_ should have told them when she got the damn diagnosis. Deran felt like he had less time to process the information and soon, she would be gone, _forever_. It’s what he’d always wanted, though never how he’d imagined. Him and his brothers had dreamed of taking over for years, but what if everything fell apart; what if _he_ fell apart?

He hadn’t relied on her for a long time now. Maybe just having her presence around had been enough. When she was gone it would be for good, no coming back. Deran could hold his own, but what about his brothers, who would take care of them? Better yet, who would his brothers take care of? And now Craig had a _baby_? _Fucking Craig?!_

His mind simply couldn’t wrap around that one; he was sure Smurf was eager to have another ‘son’ to add to the family. _Smurf_. What the fuck were they supposed to do without her; they barely knew what to do _with_ her around. He hated her, that was no question—they all did. It just begged the question for how deep that hatred went, and whom they would place it upon next.

Deran shifted slightly causing Adrian to stir. He pulled Adrian’s bare chest, dragging his body up as he slid down the couch further, spooning Adrian from behind. He placed his head over Adrian’s, pushing their bare torsos together as he linked his arms around Adrian’s front. A soft ‘ _mmm_ ’ escaped Adrian’s lips as he warmed into the hold, falling further into his sleep.

_Craig._

Craig, Renn, and a fuckin’ kid. _Jesus_.

Deran had meant it when he said he couldn’t picture Craig as a dad; it wasn’t until he saw him holding the baby that his thoughts changed. The way Craig’s eyes glossed over and how gentle he was when picking up the baby made Deran’s heart ache. There was this tiny innocent life in front of them, needing protection and care, and here Craig was offering both, _willingly_. It was a sight Deran never could’ve pictured until he saw it for himself. Renn was such a sweetheart; he’d never had any bad thoughts about her. He figured if Craig had to have a baby with someone, she was the best choice. Renn always seemed patient with Craig even after all the shit they’d been through—kind of like him and Adrian. And it was _that_ realization that made him saddest of all; he wanted all of that with Adrian. Maybe not the baby part, not yet anyway, but he wanted the family part Craig and Renn had so clearly created. If they could make it work, he thought, then maybe he and Adrian could too.

He shouldn’t be surprised that Craig makes a great dad. After all, _he_ was the one to drive him back and forth to surf comps; not Billy and certainly _not_ Smurf. Deran had always felt himself to be the big brother, taking care of Craig. Maybe now Craig was ready to take care of himself, take care of his son the way Deran and he took care of each other.

His blues fluttered open and closed as his mind wore down. He couldn’t fix any of these things; all he could do was accept them for what they were. Billy was an absent asshole of a father, and there was nothing he was going to do that would change that for Deran; he didn’t need a dad then, and he sure as hell didn’t now. If Smurf was dying then he would have to handle it, handle his brothers. Deran had to remind himself of his bar; _he_ did that, not _her_ , just _him_. That was something to be proud of, something she could never take from him, not mentally at least. As with everything in life, he would figure it out—he was a Cody after all. Craig was the easiest one to let fade from his mind; he was a dad now and he was going to be a damned good one—Deran would make sure of it.

Adrian mumbled from beneath him, “You’re thinking too much.” Deran, a little startled, opened his eyes wide. “I thought you were sleeping?” He silently wondered how long Adrian had been lying awake, pretending to be asleep.

“Can’t sleep when you’re thinking too loud,” Adrian muttered into his hand where it rested close to his lips. Deran sighed into him, “Sorry. Lot on my mind...didn’t mean to drag you into it.” Sometimes Deran hated how connected they were, always knowing how the other was doing without ever having to ask, or in Adrian’s case, without ever having to look. Adrian was empathetic in that way, sometimes knowing how Deran felt before he himself could express it.

Adrian twisted in his arms, turning himself so that their blues met, connecting instantly. “You don’t have to drag me into anything. I wanna be wherever you are...good or bad.”

Deran eyed him intently, “Yeah?” Adrian brought up a half smile, brushing a hand through Deran’s hair, “Yeah.”

Deran tipped his head down to meet Adrian’s lips, kissing them tenderly. Adrian kissed him back, their tongues slipping into one another. Opening his eyes, Deran pulled back slightly. “Let’s go surfing.” Adrian’s brow raised in question, “It’s like 2am D, and we’re _both_ drained.” He chuckled quickly, rubbing at Adrian’s scalp, “I meant in the morning sleepy.” Adrian looked to him sweetly, “Ok, it’s a date.”

They brought their mouths together again, kissing each other with passion burning through them. Pulling away once more, Deran whispered, “Let’s go to bed.” Adrian beamed next to him, his eyes fluttering closed. “I’m already there.” Pressing a gentle kiss to his temple, Deran pulled Adrian closer, resting Adrian’s head on his chest, tucking his arms firmly around him.

Everything weighing heavily on his mind could wait; he only wanted to think of one thing right now—the person resting over his heart, breathing him in calmly. He’d worked hard to get to this point in his life, and he wasn’t going to let anyone take that from him, especially himself; no one was harder on Deran than himself.

Adrian was his and he was here, in his arms, nestled safely into him. Deran touched another kiss to Adrian, linking their fingers together at his side. His thoughts subsided as he faded into Adrian, letting his calmness take him down. Just as Adrian could, Deran could hear his thoughts as well; they were steady like the ocean waves, drifting in and out, lulling him to sleep. He could ride these waves forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! Kudos and comments are appreciated (:
> 
> I also posted this on [ my tumblr](%5B<a%20href=)


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